alcippe | Coal

I love the way the Europeans dispense over-the-counter drugs. It's not like Walgreens or CVS where you go in and have to guess which of 1,000 remedies is the best for you. Instead, you walk up to a friendly person behind a counter and describe the symptoms you are feeling. Then they reach behind themselves to a shelf lined with various pills and potions, and pick out the exact remedy that is right for you. It saves so much time, and besides, who wants to read the backs of medicine boxes when you feel like crap?

I've got a sore throat and dry cough, in case you were wondering.

Today I was issued my Fiktionsbescheinigung, which is a small, super-official looking document (it has holograms and eagles or hawks or German birds I don't know on it!) and it gives me European rights. So I'm finally official and everything. I feel like it's my Euro-birthday!

Now I just need to wait for my work visa to process and I'll be set. They tell me I might have it in time to start work on January 3rd, which would be sweet.

I've got a good lead on a studio, too. Thus wrote the landlord: "It is definitely raw - but big and furnished. One of the last remaining un-renovated east german buildings in Mitte. What we should let you know is that this space is heated by COAL OVENS. If you don't know what this means ask some germans and they will be happy to explain...but basically it means that heating is more work than turning a dial. The price would be 700/month which INCLUDES utilities EXCEPT heat (you have to buy your own coal, but we can help explain how to go about doing that)."

The moment I read "COAL OVENS" I immediately knew that I must have this space, no matter what.

Ah yes. I know what COAL OVENS means. It means watching all of your potatoes roll down the dirty, dirty steps. Count me in!